Question
I got an unhappy call yesterday from a store where our tables are for sale. Little piles of dust underneath a spalted maple coffee table. We immediately picked it up. Guess we grabbed up a piece of maple that hadn't been kilned when making it. Now what to do? Don't have a kiln, too big for the oven and microwave. It's sealed with tung oil with a little varnish mixed in. There's nothing I can spray it with, is there? Pretty table, hate to lose it, burn it, whatever.
Forum Responses
(Furniture Making Forum)
From contributor D:
I've had this problem with air dried pine that I built a 10' long dining table with. I brought it back to the shop and built a box around it with 1/2" sheetrock. I used a propane space heater to slowly bring up the temperature to 165 degrees, and let it stay there for a couple hours. I used a meat thermometer to monitor the heat. When it was done, I shut off the heater and let it cool slowly overnight. The next day I was surprised to find the table was in good shape, including the pre-cat lacquer finish. The bugs were cooked, and I had no further problems with it. I probably spent $75 on the sheetrock and heater rental, plus a few hours. In my case it was definitely worth it, as it saved a several thousand dollar piece.
